Review: Deacon's Ark - A.E.Stanton

Series: The New West #2
Genre: Western, Apocalyptic wasteland
Pages: 64, ebook
Published: December 8th, 2011
Publisher; Musa Publishing
Source. For review

Josie and Deacon have left Horsetown and are back in search of The City. Joined by Josie’s youngest sister, Sadie, they decide to travel on the riverboat The Green Goddess to save travel time.

My thoughts:

Josie, Deacon and Sadie are looking for a mystical city. Most of the book takes ship in a ship and they will face some pretty bad things. And since this is a short one I will not say what those bad things are. I want to leave something as a surprise even if you get an idea from the longer blurb that can be found. 

This land is sure going to hell, I have a hard time seeing a future for them. Well it does not take many to start anew but still, as long as they survive what is coming. It's a nice apocalyptic western series. Hope is not something you find here (well except when talking to Josie and Deacon), and I do like that it is dark.

The book ends with somewhat of a cliffie. I fear what they will see next, and I am hoping for some good news.

Review: When Josie Comes Home - A.E.Stanton

The New West

Genre: Dystopic Western

Pages: 59

Published: October 2011

Publisher; Musa Publishing

Source: For review

The future’s a wonderful place to be if you were considered worthy -- until a huge solar flare slagged the world computers. Now, over two hundred years later, the unworthies are all that’s left of humanity, and they’ve reverted back to the old, old ways.

Josie escapes from the forced sexual slavery of Horsetown, vowing to return with help to save her sisters. Ten years later, she’s not home -- but her youngest sister, Sadie, insists Josie will return, with her Hero along to help save the day.

The Gambler’s in Horsetown for reasons all his own. Who is he? What’s he really here for? And what will happen if he’s in town When Josie Comes Home?

My thoughts:

First I must comment on my recent ebook reviews, there is a simple reason (well ok got to borrow the library e-reader), but mostly cos the short stories I have read lately have been written by Gini Koch, but under different names.

This short story is set in the future and in a town called Horse Town, where any woman can be had, if you pay. Whether the woman want or not. It's a horrible town where the women are slaves, and they all wait for the fable Josie to come back home and free them. She was the only one who got away. But before we meet Josie a Gambler comes to town, what is his plan? Will Josie ever come back? The title does say it all, yes she will come back.

It did work well as a short story, really well actually. I got into the story and I was happy that it had a conclusion. Sure it would also have worked well as a longer story. I liked the future it showed and this town was truly horrible. Josie's sisters were also interesting as they and the Gambler have center stage in this story.